2010-10-01

*** Sidewalk Weekend! *** #45

Sidewalk Rating: Great until a moment ago!

Around the watchers, the city still made its everyday noises. Car horns. Garbage trucks. Ferry whistles. The thrum of the subway. The M11 bus pulled in against the sidewalk, braked, sighed down into a pothole. A flying chocolate wrapper touched against a fire hydrant. Taxi doors slammed. Bits of trash sparred in the darkest reaches of the alleyways. Sneakers found their sweetspots. The leather of briefcases rubbed against trouserlegs. A few umbrella tips clinked against the pavement. Revolving doors pushed quarters of conversation out into the street.

-Colum McCann, Let The Great World Spin.

[Trees on tops of hills change color faster.]

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Spent yesterday across the river in St. Paul and walked along the river on Shepard road during the day. I met a younger couple who had parked their car in the rest area/overlook and found out that they have been homeless on and off for almost two years. They have an old mini van which is packed to the gills with stuff and I have no idea how they sleep in there?? Occasionally they will stay with her mom but her boyfriend and her mother don't get along so it doesn't happen often. He works odd jobs occasionally and she does babysitting but it's not enough to pay rent somewhere. They usally spend nights near a specific place (which I won't name) that is open 24/7 so they have a bathroom to use. They told me about so many other homeless people throughout St. Paul that I couldn't believe it. I hope they make it because they have their whole lives ahead of them and it's nice that they can have each other for support.